Bangor Through to the Junior Cup Final in Dramatic Fashion

With the unseasonable weather last weekend and with an increasingly busy fixture list building,  Sunday’s Junior Cup game was switched from Downpatrick to Bangor where the ground had faired much better to the recent rains. This was in everyone’s best interest in order to get the game in on the day and we thank Downpatrick for pivoting quickly on the Saturday to get plans in place to play the game in Bangor. Bangor were happy to field first in dry but blustery conditions and looked to make early breakthroughs to put the visitors under pressure. 

Josh Bates and Sam McMillan opened the bowling and the visitors got off to a good start thanks to some loose bowling. The experience of George Prince was brought on to stem the tide and a wicket was immediately forthcoming after a gentle push into the Covers by Rekhi he ambitiously set of for a 2 and the ensuing skipper Jonny Parker, hurled the ball in as the openers began their second run. Time stood still as due to the soft conditions (as Parker claims) the ball teased everyone as it dribbled into the grateful gloves of Andrew Kirkpatrick who whipped the bails off just in time to run out Rekhi, 21-1 in the 5th over.

The visitors hadn’t learned their lesson to not take any risky runs to the Bangor fielders as the other opener Chatterjee was skilfully ran out by Will Simpson from 20 yards away as the ball barely flicked the stump to dislodge a solitary bail and wild celebrations ensued, 28-2 at the end of the 6th over. Bangor were beginning to swing momentum back into their favour but the skies above began to darken as to no one’s surprise now, more rain arrived and heavy too, the score was 37-2 in the 9th over. 

As the heavy band of rain passed over and the sunshine returned, the ground was deemed unfit for play and an early tea was taken as players took in the opening stages of the Men’s Wimbledon Final and McIlroy brilliantly winning the Scottish Open. Despite another lighter shower, play would eventually resume some 90 minutes later with the game reduced to a 28 Over game. The restart started sluggishly for Bangor as they struggled to curtail Panchal and especially Ringland as he went through the gears and passed his half century. Simpson and Andrew Gowdy picked up an LBW decision between them but none of them for Ringland who was still causing the home side issues as he was joined at the crease by skipper Hutton and he too scored quickly. The score was 139-4 after 23 overs and Bangor were staring down the barrel of a DLS adjusted 200 plus run chase.

George Prince and Josh Bates were entrusted with the ball for the last few overs with the home side desperate for a wicket to stem the increasingly steady flow of runs. Bates charged down the hill to begin a new spell against Ringland. He delivered a full ball outside off stump which Ringland whacked straight in the air towards Bates who stuck out a left hand and defying all possible laws of physics, the ball stuck in his hand, shocking everyone at the ground. Even Bates who is known for his enthusiastic celebrations didn’t know how to celebrate, it is surely one of the greatest catches ever seen on the hallowed Upritchard Park turf. 

Despite Ringland’s removal, Downpatrick still eyed a large total but wickets began to tumble with Bates picking up his second wicket and Prince removing Hutton – who made a well crafted 37 – to a fantastic catch by Parker. Sam McMillan bowled the final over and picked up a further two wickets, one via a run out of his own accord and one to a tremendous catch by 18 year old Nathan Belshaw who was making his Men’s First Eleven debut (more from him later on). A DLS adjusted total of 173 was required for Bangor to book themselves into a home final against Lurgan, the game was finely poised.

Sam McMillan and Andrew Kirkpatrick opened the batting and got off to a good start as they raced to 34-0 after 7 overs. During the 7th over, the impressive left arm seamer Kearsley went off with a nasty forearm injury after being struck by the ball and we wish him a speedy recovery. It may have seemed Bangor were nudging ahead but disaster struck in the 8th over as Khan removed McMillan for 21, quickly followed by Keenan and the score was 34-2.

Skipper Parker joined Kirkpatrick in the middle and the match was again finely poised and there for the taking for both sides. Bangor understandably decided to knock the ball around when offered to and build a foundation to go hard later in the innings as 20 runs came in the following 5 overs. The run rate drastically increased in the next 5 overs with the score on 90-2 and with 10 overs left, Bangor needed 83 more runs for victory… finely poised you could say. 

Kirkpatrick who was the more well set batsman decided to take the game to the visitors as he went through the gears hitting some towering sixes down the ground as Downpatrick struggled to contain him. A massive 18 runs came off the 22nd over to leave Bangor on 132-2, needing 41 more runs from 36 balls and the home side were now favourites to win the game. However, the pendulum swung once more as Parker was dismissed for 29 and Adam McCusker came and went and Bangor were 138-4 after 24 overs, the visitors wrestling back control of the match. 

While Kirkpatrick was there though Bangor were still favourites as he passed the half century mark. More drama was to follow though as in the space of 7 deliveries Bangor had scored 16 runs but crucially for the loss of 2 wickets, Simpson dismissed for a quick fire 10 and Kirkpatrick left to a standing ovation to a growing crowd for a wonderful 82 off just 69 balls as he tried to end the game as a contest by going for another 6 and was well caught in the deep. That pendulum – which was now at this point having an absolute field day – swung once more and it was anyone’s game to win now with 12 runs required of 11 balls. Enter young Nathan Belshaw, who joined the talisman Mark English out in the middle, no finer man to talk him through how to navigate the final stages of this pulsating match. 

Belshaw managed to get off strike at his third attempt with English on strike and 11 to win from 8 balls. English firmly drove down the ground as his demand of two rang through the ears of all at Upritchard Park as the young Belshaw struggled to keep up with the athletic English who was a man possessed. English again on strike crunched a sumptuous drive through the covers for four and Bangor believed once again needing just 5 runs from the final over. Belshaw who showed calmness beyond his years got off strike with a quickly taken single leaving English on strike eyeing up the short leg side boundary assisted by a helpful breeze, the fat lady in the corner was warming her vocal cords. 

Khan though had other ideas as he trapped English on the crease and the dreaded finger from the umpire was raised, 4 runs from 4 balls the equation as Prince strode to the crease. Prince determined to right the wrongs of a similar unfortunate situation 5 years ago and remove that burden set his sights on navigating the dying embers of the game with Belshaw. The next ball was full outside off stump as Prince eyed up the vacant deep cover region, missed the ball, 4 from 3. More field changes ensued as Downpatrick tried to nail down their plans, Khan ran in and bowled a ball full on leg stump which Prince firmly flicked into the vacant leg side area. Both batters ran like their life depended on it as the ball slowly trickled towards the boundary but unfortunately came up just short but crucially for Bangor 3 runs were picked up and now had two balls left to get 1 run to secure a famous victory. The field all came in ready for the run out opportunity, Khan charged in, Belshaw having an old head on young shoulders guided the ball expertly through the vacant gully region and wild celebrations in the middle and on the boundary edge began as Bangor won thrillingly by 3 Wickets with just 1 ball remaining. Surely one of the most dramatic debuts ever for a Bangor First Eleven player in the clubs history from Nathan Belshaw.

Bangor can now look forward to a home Junior Cup Final, one of the big days in the NCU calendar, at Upritchard Park on Saturday 29th July. Before then, Bangor travel down to face Downpatrick again this time in the league on Saturday as the side look to cement a place in the top 6 ahead of the league split.

Downpatrick 174-9 (28 overs, Ringland 73, C Hutton 37, J Bates 2-25)
Bangor 173-7 (27.5 overs, A Kirkpatrick 82, J Parker 29, M Khan 3-31, J Ferguson 2-21, S Kumar 2-22)
Bangor beat Downpatrick by 3 wickets (DLS)
DLS par score was 172 off 28 overs